Anthropomorphic Animals
ANTHROPOMORPHIC ANIMALS Anthropomorphic animals, sometimes called anthropomorphs, are animals with humanoid characteristics—or perhaps humanoids with animal characteristics. They retain many of the qualities of the animal on which they are based, but they are sentient and have a humanoid form. Many anthropomorphic animals of the same kind form unique societies with their own culture, language, and religion. Anthropomorphic animals speak the language of their humanoid forms, as well as any language they have developed as a people. SAMPLE ANTHROPOMORPHIC ANIMAL This example uses a donkey as the base creature. Anthropomorphic Donkey Medium-Size Monstrous Humanoid Hit Dice: 2d8+2 (11 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 30 ft. AC: 13 (+1 Dex, +2 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12 Attacks: Bite +2 melee, or by weapon +2 melee, or by weapon +2 ranged Damage: Bite 1d2, or by weapon Face/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft, low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4 Abilities: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 8 Skills: Balance +3, Listen +6, Spot +6 Climate/Terrain: Temperate and warm desert, hill, plains, and mountains Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 1 Treasure: Standard Alignment: neutral good Advancement: By character class Skills: +2 racial bonus on Balance checks. CREATING AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC ANIMAL Any animal (hereafter referred to as the base creature), but not a dire animal, can be created as an anthropomorphic animal. An anthropomorphic animal has all the base creature’s characteristics except as noted here. Size and Type: The creature’s type is monstrous humanoid. An anthropomorphic animal is bipedal even if the base creature is not. It has a tail and/or wings if the base creature has these features. All anthropomorphic animals have humanoid arms and hands. Anthropomorphic animals created from Tiny or smaller animals are Small, those created from Small to Large animals are Medium-size, and those created from Huge or larger animals are Large. This difference in size may affect Armor Class, attack bonus, natural armor, and abilities; see the introduction of the Monster Manual for a summary of these effects. Hit Dice: A Small anthropomorphic animal has 1 Hit Die. A Medium-size one has 2 Hit Dice, and a Large one has 3 Hit Dice. Anthropomorphic animals use d8s for Hit Dice. Speed: If the base creature is quadrupedal and has a land speed faster than 30 feet, the anthropomorphic animal’s land speed decreases by 10 feet. Otherwise, its speed remains unchanged. If the base creature has wings, the anthropomorphic animal can fly. If its size increased because of the transformation, its fly speed is halved and it drops one maneuverability category. If its size decreased because of the transformation, its fly speed increases by 50% and it improves by one maneuverability category. If the base creature is aquatic, the anthropomorph retains its innate swimming ability and water breathing characteristics, if any. If an aquatic anthropomorph is Small, its land speed is 20 feet. Otherwise, its land speed is 30 feet. If the base creature has a burrow or brachiation speed, the anthropomorphic animal has this mode of movement at the same speed. AC: Adjust for size change, if any. Attacks: An anthropomorphic animal has the natural attacks of the base creature, but it can also use weapons if it did not have hands already. It must still acquire the necessary proficiency to wield weapons effectively, either through feats or through character classes. If the size of the base creature changes, the damage for its natural attacks also changes. See Chapter 5: Equipment for the effects of size change on weapon damage. If the base creature has more than two limbs, the anthropomorphic animal has the same number, but two of them become feet. Thus, an octopus-man, for example, would have only six natural attacks rather than eight. An anthropomorphic animal uses the base attack bonus of a monstrous humanoid: +1 for a Small creature, +2 for Medium-size, or +3 for a Large creature. Small anthropomorphic animals with class levels use the base attack bonus of their class because they lose their single monster Hit Die. Special Attacks: Attacks that rely on a nonhumanoid shape, such as hind-leg rakes, trampling, or a snake’s constriction, are no longer available. Special Qualities: An anthropomorphic animal has darkvision with a 60-foot range. Base Saves: Base saves are as a monstrous humanoid: +0 Fort, +2 Ref, +2 Will for a Small creature; +0 Fort, +3 Ref, +3 Will for Medium-size, or +1 Fort, +3 Ref, +3 Will for a Large creature. Abilities: Str by size change, Dex by size change, Con by size change, Int becomes 11, Wis +2, Cha +4. See Table A–58. Skills: Same as the base creature (see Table A–58), except that Small anthropomorphic animals with class levels use the skill points granted by their class. Feats: If the base creature has Weapon Finesse as a racial bonus feat, the anthropomorphic animal also has it if it still has the related attack form. Otherwise, anthropomorphic animals gain feats only through class levels. Challenge Rating: Small: Base creature’s CR +1. Medium Size: Base creature’s CR +1. Large: Base creature’s CR –1. Treasure: Standard. Alignment: Any. Advancement: By character class. Level Adjustment: See Table A–58. which contains the level adjustments for the anthropomorphic versions of each animal in the Monster Manual. ANTHROPOMORPHIC CHARACTERS Anthropomorphic characters seldom become sorcerers, since most have a penalty to Charisma. A few may become wizards. In general, an anthropomorphic race based on predatory animals uses either barbarian or ranger as a favored class. An anthropomorphic race based on herbivorous animals uses either cleric or druid as a favored class. Table A–58: Adjustments for Anthropomorphic Animals * 1 Apply this bonus or penalty to Armor Class and attack rolls. * 2 The octopus and squid abilities jet and ink cloud only work when swimming. Octopi and squids can hold their breath out of the water twice as long as humans can hold their breath under the water. * 3 Out of the water, cetaceans have blindsight 60 feet. They can hold their breath under water twice as long as a human. * 4 Out of the water, sharks can detect creatures by scent in a 90-foot radius and cannot detect blood in the water unless they are submerged in that water. Sharks can hold their breath out of the water twice as long as humans can hold their breath under the water. * 5 Constrictors have snake tails and no legs. They can use their improved grab and constrict abilities on creatures their size or smaller. They keep all their movement abilities. * 6 Vipers are humanoid in all respects except they have snake heads. They can speak normally, and can use their bite and poison attacks. They lose their swim speed. * 7 Anthropomorphic riding dogs are not “trained for war.” They cannot make trip attacks. * 8 An attached weasel character loses any Dexterity bonus to Armor Class.